Closure member for pipes and the like

ABSTRACT

A closure member for pipes, conduits, etc. is disclosed which comprises a cylindrical cap of rubber or other elastomeric material, the cap being closed at one end and having inwardly and circumferentially extending ridges around the inner periphery of its skirt to engage the outer periphery of the pipe. A clamp surrounds the skirt and is adapted to constrict the skirt against the pipe to seal the latter.

United States Patent 1191 Bywater, Jr. 1 1 Jan. 30, 1973 1541 CLOSUREMEMBER FOR PIPES AND 3.574.312 4/1971 Miller .138/89 x THE LIKE FOREIGNPATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [75] Inventor: James W. Bywater, Jr., RowlandHeights, Calif. 211,526 11/1957 Austraha ..l38/89 89,329 9/1922 Austria..l38/89.3 [73] Assignee; Lucille M, Bywater, Pasadena, l,475,604l0/l969 Germany ..l38/89 Calif. part interest to each PrimaryExaminerHouston S. Bell, Jr.

[22] Flled: 1970 Assistant Examiner-Donald B. Massenberg [2i] Appl. No.:101,248 Attorney Fred N. Schwend [52] U.S. Cl ..l38/89 [57] ABSTRACT[51] Int. Cl ..Fl6l 55/10 [58] Field 0 SearchWl38/89, 891, 892, 893,894; A olosure member for pipes, condu1ts, etc. 1s disclosed 285/236DIG. 339/36 198 M 198 wh1ch compr1ses a cylmdr1cal cap of rubber orother 54/16 elastomeric material, the cap being closed at one end andhaving inwardly and circumferentially extending [56] References andridges around the inner periphery of its skirt to engage UNITED STATESPATENTS the outer periphery of the pipe. A clamp surrounds the skirt andis adapted to constrict the skirt against 574,379 BOUl'lCU 2 thg to ea]the lat[er 809,903 1/1906 .....285/236 X 3,043,612 7/1962 Pavlik et al...285/236 X 2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 3,l26,243 3/l964 Manetti et al...239/36 X 3,233,922 2/1966 Evans ..285/236 PATENTEDJAN30 I975 3.713.463

Ill/L LL ll I NVENTOR. JAMES W. BYwATmJe CLOSURE MEMBER FOR PIPES ANDTHE LIKE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention Thisinvention relates to means of sealing one end of a pipe, conduit or thelike against fluid pressure.

2. Description of Prior Art Heretofore, closure members for sealingpipes, etc. generally have comprised an end cap member of a relativelystiff material, such as metal, having internal or external screw threadsthereon adapted to be secured to mating screw threads formed at the endof the pipe.

Although such threaded caps are satisfactory, they are relativelyexpensive, particularly in large diameter sizes, and require the formingof screw threads on the pipe. This may often be inconvenient orundesirable because of the location of the pipe or the use to which itmay be put. Often, it may be desirable to only temporarily seal the endof a pipe, as when testing a piping system for leaks. In such cases, itmay even be undesirable to thread the end of the pipe to be sealed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It becomes the principal object of the presentinvention to provide an inexpensive closure member for a pipe or thelike which may have either a screw threaded or unthreaded end, suchclosure member being effective to seal such pipe against relatively highfluid pressures.

The invention comprises a cap of rubber or other elastomeric materialincluding a cylindrical skirt closed at one end andadapted to fit overone end of a pipe or the like to be sealed. One or more inwardlyextending circumferential ridges on the inner periphery of the skirt isadapted to frictionally engage the outer periphery of the pipe when thecap is mounted. Due to the high unit pressure exerted by the ridgesagainst the outer periphery of the pipe when the clamp means constrictsthe skirt, the cap is effective to seal the end of the pipe againstrelatively high fluid pressures. A stiffener member is inserted in theskirt to prevent distension of the end wall of the cap due to fluidpressure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERREDEMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, the cap member comprises a cap 11of rubber or other elastomeric material, such as a relatively softplastic commonly known under the trademark Neo'prene", such materialpreferably having a hardness on the Shore scale of approximately 60. Thecap 11 is formed of a cylindrical skirt 12 which is open at its lefthandend and closed at its opposite end by an integral wall 13 havingsubstantially the same wall thickness as that of the skirt.

A flat stiffener disc- 14, preferably of plastic, such as polystyrene,having a considerably greater amount of stiffness than that of the cap,is fitted within the skirt'l2 in abutment with the wall 13. Preferably,the diameter of the disc is the same as the inside diameter of the skirt12 when the latter is in its unclamped position as shown in FIG. 3.

Two inwardly and circumferentially extending ridges 15 and 16 are formedintegral with the inner periphery of the skirt 12. Such ridges arepreferably semi-circular in cross section and are spaced apart from eachother and from the ends of the skirt 12.

The cap 11 is made in different sizes commensurate with the standardsizes of pipe to be sealed. Preferably, the inside diameter of the cap11 when unconstricted, as shown in FIG. 3, is slightly greater than theoutside diameter of the pipe 17 over which it is to be fitted and theinside diameters of the ridges l5 and 16 are of substantially the samediameter as that of the pipe so that they will frictionally engage thesame when the cap is initially fitted over the end of the pipe.

Since the stiffener disc 14 is substantially the same diameter as theinner diameter of the skirt 12, the ridge 16 will normally prevent thedisc from being separated from the cap when the latter is removed fromthe pipe.

In order to secure the cap against pipe 17 and to seal the same againstfluid leakage, a so-called hose clamp 18 is fitted over the skirt 12 inline with the ridges l5 and 16. The clamp 18 is ofconventional'construction comprising a thin band 19 of metal or the liketo which a worm bearing housing 20 is attached at one end. At itsopposite end, the band 19 has spaced inclined slots 21 formed thereinand engageable by the threads (not shown) of a worm member partly shownat 22, which is rotatably supported within the bearing housing 20. Anhexagonal head 23 is formed on the worm member 22 which, when rotated,causes the clamp to constrict the skirt 12, including ridges I5 and 16,against the periphery of the pipe 17.

Due to the relatively small area of the ridges 15 and 16 which initiallyengage the outer periphery of the pipe 17, a slight clamping action bythe clamp causes a relatively high unit pressure to be exerted betweensuch ridges and the pipe to create a fluid tight seal. As the skirt isfurther constricted by the clamp 18, the entire inner surface of theskirt engages the outer periphery of the pipe, as shown in FIG. 3, tofurther seal the same against leakage and to prevent the cap from beingforced off the end of the pipe by fluid pressure.

The stiffener disc 14 prevents undue distension of the end wall 13 uponapplication of fluid pressure within the pipe. It will be noted in FIG.2 that the disc 14 is nonnally slightly greater in diameter than theoutside diameter of the pipe 17 so that when skirt 12 is fullyconstricted it will be somewhat distended in the area directly adjacentthe outer periphery of the disc 14, thereby adequately sealing againstleakage of fluid around the outer edge of the disc. If desired, theclamp 18 may be located directly over the disc 14.

An important feature of the cap member 11 is that it may be equally wellused to seal the end of a pipe 25,

FIG. 4, which is screw threaded as shown at 24, since the elastomericmaterial may extrude between the threads when the skirt 12 isconstricted and thus form an effective seal against relatively highfluid pressures. Accordingly also, the cap member may be used toeffectively seal a pipe having a rough or irregular outer periphery.

A further important feature of the cap member 11 is that it may berepeatedly removed and reused without wear or tendency to leak. Inaddition, the cap member may be used to effectively seal pipe, conduits,or the like which may, within certain limits, be under or over itsnominal diameter.

I claim:

1. A closure member for a pipe, conduit or the like comprising a cap ofelastomeric material,

said cap having a cylindrical skirt and an end wall closing one end ofsaid skirt,

said skirt having at least one inwardly and circumferentially extendingridge around the inner periphery thereof,

said ridge being adapted to frictionally engage the outer periphery of asaid pipe when fitting said cap over said pipe,

a substantially rigid disc within said skirt and engageable with saidend wall,

said disc being of a material having greater stiffness than saidelastomeric material,

said disc having a diameter at least substantially equal to the innerdiameter of said skirt and greater than the internal diameter of saidridge, and

clamp means surrounding said skirt over said ridge and adapted toconstrict said skirt against said outer periphery of said pipe.

2. A closure member according to claim 1 wherein said clamp means isadapted to sealingly constrict said skirt against the outer periphery ofsaid disc.

1. A closure member for a pipe, conduit or the like comprising a cap ofelastomeric material, said cap having a cylindrical skirt and an endwall closing one end of said skirt, said skirt having at least oneinwardly and circumferentially extending ridge around the innerperiphery thereof, said ridge being adapted to frictionally engage theouter periphery of a said pipe when fitting said cap over said pipe, asubstantially rigid disc within said skirt and engageable with said endwall, said disc being of a material having greater stiffness than saidelastomeric material, said disc having a diameter at least substantiallyequal to the inner diameter of said skirt and greater than the internaldiameter of said ridge, and clamp means surrounding said skirt over saidridge and adapted to constrict said skirt against said outer peripheryof said pipe.
 1. A closure member for a pipe, conduit or the likecomprising a cap of elastomeric material, said cap having a cylindricalskirt and an end wall closing one end of said skirt, said skirt havingat least one inwardly and circumferentially extending ridge around theinner periphery thereof, said ridge being adapted to frictionally engagethe outer periphery of a said pipe when fitting said cap over said pipe,a substantially rigid disc within said skirt and engageable with saidend wall, said disc being of a material having greater stiffness thansaid elastomeric material, said disc having a diameter at leastsubstantially equal to the inner diameter of said skirt and greater thanthe internal diameter of said ridge, and clamp means surrounding saidskirt over said ridge and adapted to constrict said skirt against saidouter periphery of said pipe.